DD (2nd year 12u) is playing on a mostly first year 12u team, only 11 girls on roster for fall. Coaches are moving girls around a lot, using fall to see what they have (I think 6 or 7 girls are from spring team that played 10u), which is great.
after a few friendlies and a one day tourney, a glaring weakness / hole is becoming apparent. There is not a real OF among them. DD is competent in OF, probably second best in OF on team, but they are going to have her behind the plate for at least 50% of the pool innings, and probably close to 100% of bracket innings (single day tourney, she caught 3.5 out of 4 games, gonna talk to coaches, they are going to have to lighten her load in pool games I think). when not catching, they like her at 3B (only 3 or 4 girls on team can make the 3B to 1B throw). I honestly would love to see her in CF when not catching (and am OK with her sitting some too).
next best OF is probably one of the ACs daughter, seems to prefer SS and 1B (not aggressive enough for former, good on latter). she is fast, would probably be best CF on team. due to team politics, cannot see them putting her in OF.
the biggest problem though, is most of the girls that have been playing OF, with one exception during a friendly (#2P, also plays 1B, lefty), all the girls who have been in OF are letting fly balls they should be getting under, drop in front of them, and most are also on the slower side.
how do you get girls to go all out for fly balls? to me fall ball is the time to be running at and/or diving for those catches, and if you miss, it is fall ball. gotta trip over that fine line a bunch to learn where it is. or should the coaches be recruiting some real OF, to push everyone.
part of the issue is also the team politics, most just moved from 10u, and while they may say they realize OF is important in 12u, deep down they do not really get it yet., and everyone thinks their DD should be SS. so with one or two exceptions, no one is playing more than a couple innings in OF generally.
after a few friendlies and a one day tourney, a glaring weakness / hole is becoming apparent. There is not a real OF among them. DD is competent in OF, probably second best in OF on team, but they are going to have her behind the plate for at least 50% of the pool innings, and probably close to 100% of bracket innings (single day tourney, she caught 3.5 out of 4 games, gonna talk to coaches, they are going to have to lighten her load in pool games I think). when not catching, they like her at 3B (only 3 or 4 girls on team can make the 3B to 1B throw). I honestly would love to see her in CF when not catching (and am OK with her sitting some too).
next best OF is probably one of the ACs daughter, seems to prefer SS and 1B (not aggressive enough for former, good on latter). she is fast, would probably be best CF on team. due to team politics, cannot see them putting her in OF.
the biggest problem though, is most of the girls that have been playing OF, with one exception during a friendly (#2P, also plays 1B, lefty), all the girls who have been in OF are letting fly balls they should be getting under, drop in front of them, and most are also on the slower side.
how do you get girls to go all out for fly balls? to me fall ball is the time to be running at and/or diving for those catches, and if you miss, it is fall ball. gotta trip over that fine line a bunch to learn where it is. or should the coaches be recruiting some real OF, to push everyone.
part of the issue is also the team politics, most just moved from 10u, and while they may say they realize OF is important in 12u, deep down they do not really get it yet., and everyone thinks their DD should be SS. so with one or two exceptions, no one is playing more than a couple innings in OF generally.